Washington DC, Progressives embrace anti-semitism . A vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to controversial comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar is being put off amid intensifying pressure from progressives both inside and outside the House Democratic Caucus.

An array of progressive groups declared their support for Omar, while both the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus — two of the most important factions among House Democrats — wanted more time to review the situation, lawmakers and aides said.

Bergen county has seen a significant up tick in anti-semitism , including events in the Village of Ridgewood and Ridgewood Schools.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the first two Muslim members of Congress, persists in her anti-Israel, anti-Semitic statements, even after condemnations from leading Congressional Democrats, questions are being asked about the party’s inability to take real action against the freshman firebrand.

Some of those concerns are even coming from Jews in Israel. David Rubin, American-Israeli political commentator and author of “Trump and the Jews”, has been tracking those concerns, pointing out that, “American Jews and Israelis are used to hearing the bombastic statements of anti-Semites who use Israel to get at the Jews, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is no exception.”

Rubin added, “What is especially troubling, however, is the impotence of leading Democrats, in confronting such provocative news voices in their party. Why, for instance, given her harsh views about Israel and Jews, does Omar continue to sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee? What are the Democrat leaders afraid of? Last, but not least, are the Dems, with their inaction, abandoning their strong base of Jewish supporters?”

Ridgewood NJ, Following the discovery of anti-Semitic symbols in the Pascack Valley Regional School District, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a conference call for school superintendents, featuring experts from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), as well as Superintendent of Schools Erik Gundersen from the Pascack Valley Regional School District on Tuesday.

Speakers addressed concerns regarding anti-Semitic activity in New Jersey schools and shared best practices in curbing the rising trend. Superintendents from more than thirty North Jersey schools joined the call, including representatives from school districts in Bergen, Sussex, and Warren counties. The ADL was represented by Deputy Director Melanie Robbins, Associate Regional Director for New Jersey Alex Rosemberg, and Education Director for New York/New Jersey Nicole Straker. The NJOHSP was represented by Chief of Staff Patrick Rigby.

On November 6th, Pascack Valley staff members found three Nazi swastikas in Pascack Valley High School. Additional swastikas and a racial slur were found at Pascack Valley High School at the end of November, followed by anti-Semitic symbols and racial slurs scrawled on a bathroom wall in Pascack Hills High School in early December. A few days later, a similar incident occurred at Ridgewood High School.

The ADL identified 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated throughout the United States in 2017. This represents an increase of 57 percent over the incidents reported in 2016. New Jersey experienced the third-highest number of those incidents in the nation.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) said, “These incidents are completely unacceptable. We cannot ignore the fact that our schools are facing a disturbing uptick in incidents of hate and intolerance. As both a parent and your Congressman, I am ready to work with New Jersey superintendents to ensure that instances of bias, hatred, and anti-Semitism are swiftly addressed and dealt with. Together, we must continue to send a strong and clear message that anti-Semitism and all acts of hate have absolutely no place anywhere in our communities.”

Evan R. Bernstein, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League New York/New Jersey Regional Office said, “We are grateful to Representative Gottheimer for convening a call today with ADL, NJOHSP, and dozens of school superintendents to discuss how we can collectively address hate, bias, and bigotry in our K-12 schools. Last year, we at ADL saw a surge in anti-Semitic incidents targeting students across the country, which included an astounding 94 percent rise in incidents at K-12 schools. Unfortunately, elementary, middle and high schools have exceeded public spaces (such as parks and streets) as the locations with the most anti-Semitic incidents, surpassing homes, businesses, Jewish institutions, and college campuses. We remain deeply troubled by these trends, but are heartened by the outpouring of support from elected officials and community leaders in New Jersey, who remain committed to addressing this very serious problem. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Representative Gottheimer and others to build a safer and more inclusive learning environment for our young people in New Jersey.”

Superintendent of Schools Erik Gundersen said, “I appreciate that the Congressman and other local elected officials throughout the Pascack Valley area have rallied behind our district in light of these events. It is important for all elected leaders and faith-based leaders to join their school partners to shed light on how our communities must stand up against hateful actions. The Pascack Valley Regional High School District can’t do this alone and needs the ongoing support, guidance, and expertise of our community partners and other national organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey as we strive to move forward. Together, we will be able to inform, take action, and educate our students and communities on how we can stand up against hate. It is my hope that the Congressman’s conference call, where we received a briefing from The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and The Anti-Defamation League, along with learning from Pascack Valley Regional’s experience, will provide superintendents with the tools to more effectively address anti-semitic events – should they present themselves in additional schools around the 5th Congressional District.”

Congressman Gottheimer has also worked across the aisle in Congress to combat disturbing uptick in bias, intolerance, and hate crimes against Jewish institutions. He led 11 other members of New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation in writing a letter to Congressional leadership, requesting a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice for their programs to better secure Jewish Community Centers (JCCs).

In September, the President signed the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act (P.L. 115-249), legislation Congressman Gottheimer cosponsored, which criminalizes the intentional obstruction of any person’s free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force against religious property.

Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Roberto Rivera has remained imprisoned since Ridgewood Police and FBI agents raided his Ridgewood apartment in November 2012 which he had lived in since 2011. During the raid they uncovered mass amounts of bomb making ingredients including nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, sulfuric acid, calcium hypochlorite and potassium perchlorate.

According to the then Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli , Ridgewood police first showed up at the home around 6:15 p.m. after getting a report of potential hazardous and explosive materials there.Dr. Roberto Rivera, 60 at the time ,who according to reports was active in the Occupy Wall Street movement and a far left wing radical , was arrested following the raid .

Trenton NJ, The recent Washington circus involving the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court crystallized what the Democrat Party has become: taken over by extremists, pushing aside the constitutional and traditional values that we have shared for generations. These Democrats attempted to destroy a good man, and in the process, also blew themselves up.
Lewis Carol and Saul Alinsky writing together could not have concocted a more bizarre effort on the Democrats’ part. Any pretense of jurisprudence; moral or civil decorum went out the window. The list of offenses to common decency is exhaustive: The 11th hour release of unsubstantiated and uncorroborated accusations by Dr. Ford; the subsequent illegal leaking of those allegations by Senator Diane Feinstein’s office; and Senator Hirono’s statement that men should “shut up.” Let’s not forget Senator Cory Booker’s so-called “Spartacus moment,” where our very own U.S. Senator had the gall to state that whoever supports Kavanaugh is “complicit in evil.”

Ridgewood NJ, Since President Trump was elected, mental health professionals in the United States have seen an increase in patients whose stress has come from politics.

A prevalent “symptom” of the “disorder” is feeling as though the world is going to end.

Before you start saying that this is the result of President Trump’s current behaviors, consider the fact that the American Psychological Association has recorded a rise in anxiety in the Trump era, with a five per cent increase (52 to 57 per cent) in politically induced stress levels over a six-month period before, during and after the 2016 election .

As previously reported on this blog Ridgewood has become a breeding ground for what is now called ,“Trump Anxiety Disorder.”

The American Psychological Association (APA) found in a recent online survey that stress levels following the election are the highest they’ve been in a decade. And the majority of respondents reported stress over the 2016 election and the future of the nation as factors.

Therapists told CBC that in recent months, patients have indicated that separation of migrant families at the border, the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and Trump’s various feuds with other world leaders have all been triggers for “Trump Anxiety Disorder.”

photo the correct “rainbow flag”, not the whites only one the flew at Van Neste Square

The fact that Ridgewood had no content-blind procedure in place prior to receiving the third party request to display their flag put us in a vulnerable condition that allowed for political mischief and sowed chaos, both of which are goals of practitioners of Critical Theory, and of Obama-inspired community activists who brazenly employ cynical Cloward/Piven strategies with a view toward overwhelming the normal apparatus of government. The fact that Ridgewood has not yet responded to this stimulus by devising and implementing a content-blind municipal procedure by which such third parties can obtain approval for their proposed displays reflects poorly on the members of our Village Council and on the Village Attorney. Can it be that they wish to remain vulnerable to such politically-motivated manipulation of our local system of government? If so, this is a serious problem of judgment, particularly since they should know by now how bad things can get for naive municipalities who innocently fail, or worse, stubbornly refuse to prepare themselves in advance to deal with such attacks when they come. And they will come.

Ridgewood NJ, A Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the state’s case against Ridgewood Resident Dr. Roberto Rivera, a physician who was indicted in 2012 for stockpiling large amounts of bomb-making materials in his Ridgewood home.

At the time authorities including the Ridgewood police discovered a stock of hazardous materials during a 2012 raid on Rivera’s Union Street home, including nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, sulfuric acid, calcium hypochlorite and potassium perchlorate. Along with multiple weapons, authorities also recovered 10 thermite lighters, which can be used as detonators.

In 2012, Dr. Roberto Rivera, 60, was reported to be active in the Occupy Wall Street movement and a far left wing activist .His license to practice medicine temporarily suspended in 2013 and in 2015, he was cleared by a court to represent himself in his trial.

This past Wednesday Judge Frances McGrogan made her decision after a juror independently obtained information about the case during deliberations, said Joseph Torre, a Bergen County assistant prosecutor.

The three-day trial in March saw testimony from detectives who seized two Cobray M11 9mm assault rifles and a large-capacity ammunition magazine from Rivera’s house, Torre said.

Rivera is charged with possession of assault weapons and a high-capacity magazine. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

A new trial will take place in June,and the state will also hold a second trial in October on charges related to the explosive material, including possession of a destructive device and creating risk of widespread harm.

“Emperor Superintendent Deems a Dog’s Tail a Leg”
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The following column appeared in The Ridgewood News on March 30, 2018.
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The other day a request came in to include information on the League of Women Voters’ upcoming Candidates Night in our district enews. Now, since the League is non-partisan, non-profit and local, the flyer easily passed our requirements for publishing. But the notice got me thinking in general about the important mandate that public school districts be strictly non-partisan while still encouraging our students’ intellectual curiosity and passions. It can be a delicate balance on occasion.
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A great example of successfully walking this line occurred at Ridgewood High School on March 14, when we permitted our students to organize a 17-minute walkout in conjunction with the national anti-gun violence event commemorating victims of the Parkland school shooting and raising awareness for violence-free schools. Simultaneous to this event another group of our students staged a sit-in in our Campus Center to highlight Second Amendment rights. [So is this how it goes? Two political wrongs make an apolitical right?]
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Intellectual and emotional passion energized a large body of our students that day. Of varying political views, those who either walked out or sat in paid respectful tribute to the Parkland shooting victims while raising their voices for change. RHS Principal Tom Gorman and staff helped guide our students’ planning to assure that in addition to a feel-good moment they would be enriched by a living civics lesson on the process of peaceable assembly and its value and power to effect non-violent change in a democratic society. At Ridgewood High School that day, our students lived out their textbook lessons on the meaning of freedom of speech. They also learned, as Dr. Gorman summarized aptly in a letter to the RHS community, that change is not a 17-minute event but takes a lifetime of work. In his words, Your strength and purpose happens in what you do in the 18th minute and beyond. I commend Tom’s letter to you, found in the Communications section of the RHS web pages at http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
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March 14 was a historic day for the Ridgewood Public Schools. We had never done anything like it in recent history, and while other districts chose to disallow their students’ request to participate in the national walkout, I am pleased and proud of our decision to endorse this event and also proud of and thankful for all who were involved on many levels to ensure its success as a meaningful day of memorial, awareness raising and civics in action, while remaining strictly non-partisan.
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In particular, I am proud of our students for their interest and passion to make a difference, and their desire to grapple intellectually and respectfully with contemporary societal issues. [What’s next, Dan? Dueling Pro-Life/Pro-Abortion protests? An excellent case can be made for a convenient “tie-in” that pro-life students are protesting the gravest kind of violence done to the youngest of children, whom had they not been killed, would have become their fellow RHS students. Or, are you, by this self-congratulatory letter, simply trying to head such an eventuality off at the pass? You are not the judge of your own case, Dan. Superintendent or not, if you, in fact, stepped in it by personally fomenting one or more political protests by students during the school day and on school property, no amount of after-the-fact whitewashing on your part will transform wrongdoing into inspired charity.]
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I am equally proud of, and thankful, too, for our very professional staff and for their expertise and attention, not just to the curricular matters but also for their personal commitment, and for their ability to focus on the common ground we all share on the importance of safe schools that are free of violence.
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I am further proud to be living and working in a community that supports [Not so fast, Dan!] the efforts of its public school administrators in navigating the sometimes tricky terrain [Much as all this tickles your fancy, Dan, you and your administrator friends are not paid to help students explore a career in Obama-inspired community organizing. Please get back to doing your real job.]. These past few weeks have seen a more than a flurry of snow and the tight grip of winter; there’ve been many spirited conversations and a number of district communications* about safety, security and students’ rights to assemble on school property without repercussions. [Without repercussions! Ah yes, there’s where you went wrong. The real world is not so forgiving, Dan. You’ve deprived your charges of the best lesson you might have taught them! No letter from a Birmingham jail is possible in the scenario you’ve created…] These are real issues, real concerns. [Ooh..that’s a pithy little gem. We can tell you’re just dying to get your first entry into Bartlett’s Quotations. Keep trying.]
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It’s a community’s desire to put politics aside on occasion and walk the line with us that makes a difference in achieving our mission of excellence in a safe, non-violent school setting. I am so very appreciative of that willingness to engage. [Quite a slippery slope you’ve erected here, Dan. Enthusiasm may be your strong suit. But foresight? Not so much.]
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As always, please feel free to get in touch with any questions or concerns. [Who are you kidding…]
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
District Superintendent
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* Please see my March 1, 2018 letter on school safety, found on the Superintendent’s page of the district website at http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D., is Superintendent of the Ridgewood Public Schools. Dr. Fishbein can be reached at 201-670-2700, ext. 10530, or via e-mail at [email protected] For more information on the Ridgewood Public Schools visit the district website at http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us, the district Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RidgewoodPublicSchools, or follow us on Twitter @RwdPubSchools.

Mike goes on to pull no punches The “Hitler Youth” invasion of Washington D.C. took place today as young fascists-in-training were corralled into the nation’s capitol to demand that government authoritarians strip away the civil liberties of all law-abiding Americans in the name of “gun control.” Even goes as far to say, ” Just like Hitler Youth enthusiasts, these fascists-in-training are told they’re “saving lives” for “a better future,” and that the only thing standing in their way is a bunch of violent gun owners who want to murder every baby in sight. (The irony of all these left-wingers actually condoning the abortion murder of babies, of course, is completely missed in all this.) ”

The rest of the article Adams tears into the “Hitler Youth” student gun control movement, including point out the eerily similar salute and arm bands of the Hiler youth era.

While one reader made threats , “There is a small group – that likes to divide the community and is not open to change or new ideas. Constantly attacking and bullying the residents and especially people not in their camp – it is easy to look back and complain, rehash old things. This group – never brings new ideas or recommendations to the table for positive change – they are toxic. Anyone associated with this blog and supports those action and supports pictures of Nazi’s are disturbed. And if anyone is associated with this from the VC or any other public committee should dismiss themselves – You all discuss our prior councils short falls – this is far far worse in comparison.”

Another reader states, The point of relevance is that the picture illustrates the small subset of Nazism called the Hitler Youth. The administrators and faculty of any given public school system in America are fixated, in love with the notion of converting the students under their care and instruction into political “mini me’s” (hence the “Hitler Youth” analogy), ready at the drop of a hat (or at a triggering tweet to a “flash mob”) to “fight the power” of any governmental authority that is not actively pushing their radical progressive political agenda. A picture is worth a thousand words”

Another reader voiced his thoughts,”your ignorance of world history is showing. If your a product of the Ridgewood schools, I want my $110 million back. One can point to countless examples of government slaughter of innocents (due to having all/most of the weapons). Just in the 20th Century alone, please reference 60 million dead in China 1958-62, 2-7 million dead in the Ukraine during the Holomodor, the Holocaust. (Jews were disarmed in Nazi Germany), etc., etc., etc. Thanks, I’ll keep my Bill of Rights (intact) and the lives it protects. The authorities had all the laws they needed in the Parkland case already on the books and they blew it. If you want stricter gun laws, move to Venezuela. The weather is great and you’ll be sure to lose those extra pounds from the winter on the “Maduro Diet”.

“People have been comparing these brats to Hitler Youth, but we might want to appreciate our good fortune that they are Starbucks loving, pot smoking, lazy, gender confused fornicators completely devoid of the German excellence, nationalist pride and quality graphic design (!) that marked their forebears.”

Ridgewood NJ, “Student-led” marches across New Jersey are part of the national March for Our Lives protests for gun control.

According to the Bergen Record ,the Hackensack march will include students from 18 high schools covering 26 municipalities. New Jersey’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, along with other officials and clergy members, will also attend. The groups Ridgewood JOLT, Glen Rock After the March, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Sandy Hook Promise are also supporting the march.

The “Student-led” protests are slick and well produced with the kids appearing to be nothing more than window dressing .
The focus more and more seems to be on a collection of political wannabes and helicopter parent activist pushing gun control and an anti NRA , anti Trump agenda with school safety being a mere afterthought.